Replacing the DLP Chip to Solve White/Black Dots Problem on Mitsubishi DLP TV

[Big Daddy]

I own a 73" Mitsubishi Model WD-73833 Diamond Series DLP TV. I purchased it in 2007. It has worked perfectly in the last five years. Its picture quality is stunning.

A few months ago, I noticed a very small white dot on the left side of the screen. It looked like a dead pixel on an LCD TV. DLP TVs are different than LCD TV. They don’t have dead pixels. They have a DLP chip with millions of tiny rotating mirrors. What appears to be a dead pixel is the result of a stuck mirror. The DLP chip is made by Texas Instruments and is used by Mitsubishi, Samsung, and Toshiba on their DLP TVs.

Anyway, the tiny white dot on the screen was not very bothersome and I ignored it. Several weeks later, I noticed the number of white dots have increased to three. To make a long story short, the number of white dots continued to increase until the TV was not even watchable. After doing some research on the internet, I realized that the DLP chip on the TV must be replaced. TV repairmen prefer to replace the entire Optical Light Engine as replacing the DLP chip is more involved and time consuming. The cost of replacing the Optical Light Engine is typically between $600 to $1,000. The entire Optical Light Engine can cost more than $500. Even when you purchase the Optical Light Engine from an online dealer, you have to pay $1,000 for a new one and when you return the old one back to them, they will refund $475. Check the following site:

http://www.tvlampsforless.com/Mitsub...60_p/75060.htm

I decided to replace the DLP chip myself. There are a few dealers on Amazon and Ebay that sell the chip. One of the best and most cost effective is ShopJimmy:

http://www.shopjimmy.com/catalogsear...lt/?q=dlp+chip
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Mitsub...ds=4719-001997

I ordered the chip from their Amazon store. It arrived in a few days. Unfortunately, I was too busy at the time and did not have the time needed to take the TV apart. In addition, I did not want to end up with no TV in the living room during the march of the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup. Additionally, the Olympics was a distraction, although NBC’s coverage was a national disgrace. I am tired of watching women’s behinds on taped delayed Beach Volleyball matches. While I was procrastinating and looking for excuses not to sit behind the TV and do the tedious and boring job of removing screws and disconnecting wires, the condition of the TV was becoming worse. The following picture demonstrates how awful the picture looked during the recent weeks:

Finally, after serious threats by my wife, I realized my life may be in danger or I may end up in doghouse again. I decided to get off my fanny and get to work.

The following pictures demonstrate the procedure you need to follow to replace the DLP chip.

Step 1. Remove several screws from the back panel and take it out.

Step 2. Remove additional screws and disconnect all the cables, including the DVI cable.

Step 3. Take the Optical Light Engine out and set it on a table.

Step 4. Remove a few more screws and disconnect all the cables from the top. Carefully, remove the cover from the top of the mother-board.

Step 5. Take the mother-board out by removing a few more screws that attach it to the entire unit.

Step 6. There is a screw that attaches the DLP processor to the mother-board. Loosen it and take the chip out and replace it with the new one.

Step 7. Put everything back together and keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best. In my case, everything worked perfectly and I am now allowed to leave the doghouse and sleep in the bedroom.

Note: It may be a good idea to wear plastic gloves, particularly in step 6, as electrostatic electricity can damage the chip and the circuit board.


For additional information, watch the following video:

http://www.howtorepairtv.com/

[SlaughterX]

Hmmm, I might have to look in to this. Our old 65" Mitsu did the same thing (except the dots are green).

[robchow]

@Big Daddy,

Thanks for this information. My Samsung DLP started with three white dots but has multiple exponentially to millions of white dots as well as blinking black dots. I thought it were dead pixel and have to purchase a new TV. I will give replacing the chip a shot as it is only a couple of hundred dollars.

The Samsung model is HLT6756 that I got from Costco. I noticed that this product supports the HLT6756W; I hope the chip works even though my model doesn't have the "W."

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by robchow

@Big Daddy,

Thanks for this information. My Samsung DLP started with three white dots but has multiple exponentially to millions of white dots as well as blinking black dots. I thought it were dead pixel and have to purchase a new TV. I will give replacing the chip a shot as it is only a couple of hundred dollars.

The Samsung model is HLT6756 that I got from Costco. I noticed that this product supports the HLT6756W; I hope the chip works even though my model doesn't have the "W."

A few other people have experienced this problem. I should have mentioned that you also get blinking black dots. For example, when you watch a hockey game where the ice is white and the screen tends to be bright, the black dots become more noticeable.

Replacing the DLP chip is not that difficult and should not take more than an hour or so. If you remove all the screws and disconnect the wires, the parts should slide out easily. You don't need to force anything. Make sure the chip that you buy is the correct one. Also, using a portable drill instead of a screw driver is helpful as there are too many screws.

Watch the following videos:

Video1

Video2

[Remo]

Nice post BD, I do believe this is worthy of the STICKY if there isn't any similar.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Remo

Nice post BD, I do believe this is worthy of the STICKY if there isn't any similar.

You may be right as many other people may have this problem. I gave it a sticky.

[lkleon]

Good post!! I would caution against using plastic gloves to handle the
circuit board, though! The plastic can generate a static charge that can
damage the electronic circuits, and sometimes the damage is not immediately
obvious. You can purchase a static strap from Radio Shack or Newegg.com,
for a few dollars, and it is strongly recommended that you ground yourself before touching a circuit board. Conductive gloves are also available, but
they are not so easy to find.

[robchow]

After purchasing the DLP chip a couple of months back, I finally had time to replace the failing one. The whole process took about 5 hours (1/4 of the time was dedicated to aligning the screen as it was off center either too much on top/bottom or left/right); I highly recommend someone to help watch the TV while the adjustments are made.

I just need time to calibrate the settings and the screen would be good as before.

I had the TV for close to 6-years before the DLP chip started to fail; I have read other units failed right after warranty expired (that is, within a year or two). How long should I expect this replacement to last?

[Mike Z]

This just started happening to me. I have a 65" Mitsubishi DLP that I purchased in 2007 and just recently I noticed little black dots on the left side of the screen. I guess I'll have to do this replacement as well.

Did you happen to notice any improvement in picture quality, besides the dots being gone, after you replaced the chip?